04/27/17 Recognizing SBA Award Winners

04/27/17 Recognizing SBA Award Winners

Segment 1: SBA Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year Award Winner

AWARD SUMMARY: The Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year award is presented annually to a growing business, with three years of success in sales and profits, increased jobs, an innovative product, and demonstrated potential.

Guest: Michelle Smith McLeod, Southwest Boulder& Stone, Inc. As a graduate of UCI (B.S., Natural Sciences) and CSULB (M.S., Marine Ichthyology), Michelle has used her background in natural sciences to develop her industry leading expertise in hard-scape design, education and application. While working at the CA Dept Fish & Game, She met her husband, Michael, (the Captain) while doing sampling work one day on his boat. They have continued that water-based relationship since 1975 but have segued into the business of utilizing water and stone together. Having spent much of their lives in or near the ocean, it was not unusual that they found a passion in creating water features from simple rock formations. Purchasing their first crane in 1989 with a $20,000 loan from his mother (since repaid many times over), and working out of their garage, they have built Southwest Boulder & Stone Inc into a six-location chain of landscape supply superstores.

Segment 2: Small Business Person of the Year Award Winner

AWARD SUMMARY: The Small Business Person of the Year Award is awarded to a small business that demonstrates staying power, growth in employees and revenues, innovation, response to adversity, and contributions to community-orientated projects. Not only did Herman Construction Group, Inc. win the local San Diego award for Small Business Person of the Year but also the State of California award!

Guest: Lars Herman of Herman Construction Group, Inc. Lars Christopher Herman, born in 1981, was raised in Rockville, Maryland and in 2000, entered the United States Naval Academy (USNA), graduating in 2004 with a B.S. degree in Systems Engineering. Commissioned an Ensign, Lars joined the Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), the Navy’s elite branch responsible for the construction, maintenance, and repair of Naval Base facilities. Lars is now the founder and owner of Herman Construction, Inc.

Headquartered in San Diego, CA, Herman Construction, Inc. (HCG) was established in 2009 and is a full-service 8(a) and SDVOSB prime contractor serving the federal government, all agencies of the DoD and the private sector. HCG has offices in Southern and Northern California, Arizona, and Washington, DC, with capabilities to serve our customers in the Western and Eastern U.S. HCG specializes in complex renovation projects, with an outstanding history of delivering projects ahead of schedule and with exceptional safety performance.

Segment 3: Family-Owned Small Business of the Year Award Winner

AWARD SUMMARY: The Family-Owned Small Business of the Year award is presented annually to a growing business, with three years of success in sales and profits, increased jobs, an innovative product, and demonstrated potential.

Guest: Carol Bentley, CEO of Neyenesch Printers. Founded in 1899 and still family owned and operated, Neyenesch has spent the last century learning all there is to know about the art of printing. Owned by Carol, Cliff, and Wendy Neyenesch; Neyenesch printers serves customers such as Qualcomm, University of San Diego, SAIC; just to name a few.

Guest: Danetta Jackson, Outreach Program Manager for the State of California Department of General Services (DGS), Office of Small Business (SB) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Services (916-375-4483)

SPEAKER BIO: Danetta Jackson is the Outreach Program Manager for the State of California Department of General Services (DGS), Office of Small Business (SB) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Services. She also serves as the Department’s SB and DVBE Advocate. In these capacities, Danetta and her staff make certain that SBs and DVBEs understand how to become registered and certified with the state to compete for contracting opportunities.

In addition, Danetta is in charge of forging strategic collaborations, which benefit SBs and DVBEs, with agencies at the private, local, state, and federal levels.

Danetta has 29 years working in state government in the areas of outreach, training, and advocacy. She is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). In addition, she completed the Leadership for Government Management Program at CSUS and serves as a member of the University of California Small and Diverse Business Advisory Council.